My Heart Will Go On
by CaptiveSoul
Summary: Bonnie, not managing to resurrect Jeremy, has died along with him. Elena has abandoned Mystic Falls, leaving everyone behind. 2 years later, during a voyage, she has a strange encounter with an old acquaintance who also happens to have the cure to vampirism in his possession. This meeting will define the rest of her life.
1. I see you, I feel you

Elena focused her mocha coloured gaze on the tremendously enormous ship that was floating on the sea ahead of her. It had been almost two years since she had left Mystic Falls, abandoning her old life and everyone she had ever known. First her parents, then Jenna, Alaric and then Jeremy and Bonnie; she had lost everyone she had ever considered family. As for Stefan and Damon, they were better off without her; or that's that she thought. She had left either of them a short letter in which she explained why she needed a new beginning. She didn't want to be the girl who is surrounded by death anymore, the girl who only feels pain. She knew that Stefan and Damon would look for her and they wouldn't give up easily. But she could hide her tracks and she was moving around fast. She had forever to do whatever she wanted, to be whoever she wanted and to go wherever she wanted. She was currently in England; Southampton. The ship she was taking had New York as its destination; a place she had visited when she had her humanity off. She wanted to visit that amazing, beautiful city again, to create fresh, happy memories. With that thought in mind, a faint smile curved upon her slender, luscious brims as she followed the rest of the passengers towards the entrance of the ship, dragging her suitcase along with her; her suitcase filled with clothes and blood bags.

"Welcome to Aquatitanic! We sincerely hope you will enjoy your voyage…Miss. Watson." the receptionist said as he was handing Elena's ticket back to her along with the key to her cabin. Her fake identity was required in order to travel around freely, without having the fear of someone tracking her.

She flashed him a sly smile before taking hold of the handle of her suitcase again and carrying it up the stairs to the second deck of the large ship. It didn't take her long to find her cabin, number 208. She slid the key inside the lock and unlocked the door, stepping inside the small room. There was only one, single bed, a desk along with a wooden chair and a bathroom on the other side of the room. It wasn't much but it was comfortable enough for Elena for the few nights she would have to spend aboard. She placed her dark green suitcase on the chair and unfastened the zip that was holding it closed. Going through her tidily stuffed clothes, she finally found what she was looking for. She took a blood bag out and sat on the soft mattress of the bed. Her gaze remained focused upon the dark red liquid that was floating inside the small plastic bag she was holding; memories of her death, of her transformation, of her sire bond to Damon, of the days when she had flipped the switch, they all sneaked into her mind. Remembering was painful. She wanted to go back, to Damon, to Stefan, to Caroline, to Matt, to April, to her old life. But it was too late now. It was safer for them if she wasn't around. She couldn't have any more people dying because of her. The memories and those thoughts brought a few bitter tears to her chocolate brown eyes but she managed to blink them away before they were running down her cheeks. A soundless, sad sigh emerged out of her parted lips as she untapped the blood bag and brought her lips to the nozzle, slowly drawing blood out of the bag. The bitter, metallic taste filled up her mouth and ran down her throat, increasing her strength and consciousness, extending her vampire senses. She put her whole body upon the mattress now, after kicking off her shoes, and leaned her back against the wall, since the bed was placed next to it. . She fluttered her eyes shut and gave in to the intoxicating, satisfying taste of the dark red liquid that she was gulping down.

A few minutes passed until Elena had fully drunk down the contents of the blood bag. As she removed the nozzle from her bloody lips, she took in a deep, sharp breath and let it out again slowly. She glided her tongue along her bottom lip, to clean it from the last traces of blood, and she put the empty now blood bag back in her suitcase -she didn't want any maids to come in her cabin and see it-.

The ship had already taken off from the harbour; she could feel the machines working, intensely enough for the ship to move on a still low speed. She stretched her slender arms before standing up from the bed again. She tucked the cabin's key into the pocket of her jeans and walked out. Her previous trips had only been by plane, bus and car. It was actually the first time she was travelling by boat and she wanted to make the best out of it; but she also had to act as human as possible, so that she wouldn't bring any suspicions. She took the stairs to the 9th and highest deck; that deck had a large restaurant, a disco, a bookstore, a small market and a few business class cabins. But it wasn't the inside that Elena was interested in. She pushed the door to the outside part of the deck open and stepped out. The cold breeze immediately fell upon her facial features and blew her hair backwards. It was a completely new feeling for Elena; the strong wind, the smell of the sea. It was truly invigorating and refreshing. She approached the balusters that were placed on the edge all around the deck, separating the passengers from the dark, deep water of the sea. The height of the deck and the sight of the rough, untamed sea didn't bring any dizziness to Elena, as it happens to many people. Instead, she let her eyes fall closed and she stood still, using all her vampire senses in order to take in this unique, special moment. The wind tangling up in her brown hair, the voices of the other passengers around her coming to her ears, small drops of water that the wind brought up to splash on her face as the ship was slamming against the sea; it was all breath-taking and absorbing. Involuntarily, a sly, happy smile appeared on Elena's facial features; it had been a long time since she had smiled like that. Actually, she couldn't remember the last time she had. Pulling her brown leather jacket tighter around her body, she walked along the edge of the deck next to the balusters, her mocha oculars never leaving the rough, infinite sea. Soon she had reached the prow of the ship. The wind and the cold were stronger there; therefore no other passengers had chosen that place to rest during the voyage. "Even better." Elena thought, with the faint smile still plastered upon her face. She walked towards the end of the prow and grasped the balusters, her attention now focused straight ahead. No land was visible from the current location of the ship; only perpetual, dark water, with white spots on it due to the waves caused by the strong wind.

Elena's small hands slowly let go off of the balusters; she spread her arms widely open towards each side of her body, like waiting for a big hug. She tilted her head a few inches upwards, letting the wind blow her hair back immensely as her eyes were shut once more. Her vampire strength was enough to keep her still and unbothered against the strong wind. Her senses were working feverishly, exposing her excitement and ecstasy. The salty smell of the water was piercing through her nostrils and the cold breeze was brushing against her skin roughly; her mind was empty. No thoughts, no memories were able to interrupt this moment. Instead, it was the sound of a familiar voice that brought her down to earth again. Apparently more voyagers had decided to visit the prow.

"We have a deal, Mr. Johnson. He can start our business right away once I am back in New Orleans." Elena heard the familiar voice saying. It didn't take her long to recognise who it was. She withdrew her arms from being spread widely, letting them hang again next to each one of her slender sides. No smile was evident anymore on her features; instead, it was replaced by a deep, confused and concerned frown. She turned around and saw him; a few metres away from her upon the deck stood three men, all of them dressed in suits. But it was only one that Elena knew; Elijah Mikaelson. The first Original vampire she had met; also the only one she was getting along with. Her jaw had slightly dropped and her chocolate brown eyes were focused upon his suave figure, practically staring at him. No matter how hard she had tried, there was the ghost of Christmas past, standing almost right in front of her. He hadn't changed one bit. He must have realized someone was staring at him since his gaze briefly averted from the man he was talking to and momentarily met Elena's. She held her breath and swallowed thickly; no signs of recognition appeared on his face, though she knew. She knew that he had recognized her, how couldn't he? She clenched her fists until her joints became apparent on the back of her hand; her body was tense. She couldn't waste any time, Elijah could finish the conversation with those other men within seconds. She turned and walked away from the prow of the ship, leaving him behind her, though deep down she knew an encounter with him was unavoidable during the whole voyage, especially now that he had seen her. After having left everyone behind for two years, she was stuck on a ship with the Original vampire, Elijah Mikaelson.


	2. That is how I know you

"Dinner will be available for all passengers at the restaurants on Deck 4 and 5. The self-service restaurant will also be working on Deck 8. We sincerely hope you will enjoy your evening."

Elena heard a female voice coming out of the speakers that were placed all around the ship, saying those words. No wonder Elijah would be along with his partners to one of those restaurants; she assumed he didn't want to ruin his cover by not eating human food. It seems all she had to do to avoid him for now was to stay away from the restaurants. It's not like she needed human food, after all.

After she had seen Elijah at the prow, she had moved to deck 8, sitting at the café outside along with a big amount of other passengers, hoping that the crowd would help her go unnoticed in case Elijah passed by. As the night had approached, the surroundings of the boat were becoming darker and darker, making it impossible to spot even the water of the ocean. Nonetheless, Elena's mocha gaze was focused on the darkness that was all around the ship as much as the stars that had started appearing on the sky; it must have been cloudy though since she couldn't spot them well enough. She never expected to enjoy a voyage so much. She had never smelled the bitterness of the sea before, to such extent that she could almost taste it. The gentle bouncing of the ship upon the water was calming her down; it was bringing her peace, even briefly. But the thought of coming across to Elijah couldn't leave her mind. When she thought she had escaped her past, there was still this string that was keeping her attached to it. She knew how suave and loyal he was to the people he loved; what would he think of her actions and her running away? She knew deep down that he would disapprove. And she certainly didn't need any preaching about it, she had her remorse to torture her enough already.

Her chocolate brown oculars averted from the infinite darkness of the ocean and watched the passengers as they were slowly getting up and walking away from the café, with direction to the restaurants, as she assumed. She was left alone, along with the bartender who was quietly smoking a cigarette, without paying any attention to her. Sitting there, outside, alone, was the safest place she could be at the moment, since everyone else, including Elijah would be at the restaurants, dining. She took one last sip of the cup of coffee that was placed on the table in front of her and she stood up. Since she had already paid the bill, she walked towards the edge of the deck, to enjoy the feeling of the sea once more; she couldn't get enough. It was a moonless and cloudy night but the wind had calmed down; or at least it wasn't as strong as on deck 9 where she was earlier. She couldn't help but hear the cry of a dog coming from somewhere near her. She immediately turned her head towards the direction from where the sound had come from and she spotted a few small cages, in which there was either a dog or a cat. It was the part of the ship were the passengers could leave their pets for a while, when they needed to be at places where animals were forbidden. It was actually sad, to see them imprisoned like this. To see them behind bars; Elena definitely knew how it felt to be confined. With a faint, sad smile tugging on her lips, she approached the spot where the cages were held. She sank down to her knees in front of the cage of the dog that she had heard crying.

"Hey you." she said gracefully, her tone low, smooth and friendly.

The dog reacted right away to her warm behaviour, bringing his muzzle close to the bars in order to sniff her. Elena touched his snout with her index finger and caressed it slowly and tenderly. The presence of animals in her life was another thing she craved. Never so far had she gotten a chance to get a pet, even though she had always wanted one. Maybe she should add this to her list of changes in her life. With that thought she stood up fully again, smiling down at the dog in the cage. Her brief, friendly company had made him stop crying. Elena turned around on the balls of her shoes, ready to walk towards the opposite direction of the deck, but instead she ran into someone's chest. She backed off and opened her mouth to apologize to the stranger but once her dark hazel eyes fell upon the figure, she realised he wasn't a stranger after all.

"Hello again, Elena." Elijah's calm, gentle voice came to her ears.

She stood still, staring at him as if she had seen a ghost. What she had tried to avoid, it was happening right now. She clenched her jaw and gritted her teeth, unable to find something to say. She just wanted to run away; to run away from him and everything else that reminded of her what she had left behind. But she couldn't go anywhere; she was like that dog in the cage. Jumping in the water and swimming wouldn't work, Elijah could follow her and also the ship was in the middle of nowhere. Hiding inside the ship wasn't a plan either since he could always find her.

Her silence interested him. He cocked his head to the size, his piercing gaze capturing her own. She ended up acting on impulse; using her vampire speed, which wasn't even close as fast as his, she tried to run past him. But when she was passing next to him, he grasped her arm already due to his quick reflexes and his own vampire strength and speed, making her unable to move further. His face was now turned towards her as she was standing next to him, with her gaze focused straight ahead, avoiding to look at him. She refused to move or to attempt to run away again; it was impossible and she didn't want to make him angry. She remained still and silent once more, only shooting him a quick glance, with her eyes narrowed, her look laced with anger, frustration and confusion. Elijah of course noticed that and he relaxed his grip on her arm, without letting it go completely though.

"What are you running from, Elena?" he spoke again, his tone now lower than before, sounding like he was whispering.

His own confusion was apparent due to the soft frown that had taken over his forehead. A few seconds later, he slowly withdrew his hand from her arm, assuming that she wouldn't try to leave again. His hands were now hanging next to his sides, his head lowered downwards as he was trying to meet her gaze, his suave features shining with curiosity and kindness; his usual expression.

Elena knew that there was no going back. She was forced to talk to him; she knew he wouldn't give up asking. A quiet, sharp breath escaped her parted lips and her gaze fell on the floor beneath them. Her dark eyebrows furrowed together, the fingertips of her right hand brushing along her left arm awkwardly as she started talking.

"I…I left Mystic Falls…two years ago. Now I'm travelling." she knew that her voice was unstable, that her tone was insecure. But seeing someone from her past after such a long time made her feel uneasy.

"Are you travelling alone?" Elijah kept asking while at the same time he made a step to the side, so that he was standing in front of her again.

Elena simply nodded, with her chocolate brown orbs still lowered. She didn't want to talk about what had happened. She didn't want to remember the pain, the remorse, the loss. Her silent answer made Elijah understand that. He nodded in response, in understanding. He was curious about her life, he had always been. But then again, he didn't want to be rude and push her off her limits. A few seconds passed without either of them saying a word. To his surprise, it was her who broke the silence in the end. She, now, sounded more determined and comfortable.

"What about you? What brings you on such a trip?" she said steadily, with her slender arms folding over her small chest. She didn't want to look weak. He had found her now, that couldn't change. All she had to do was to face it and make sure she kept a safe distance. She arched one of her thin eyebrows questioningly at him, an action that brought a light, amused smile upon his features; too soft for her to notice.

"Have dinner with me. I believe we have some catching up to do." he said simply, his tone now warmer than before.

Elijah extended his left arm towards the direction of the inside of the ship, indicating they should go indoors, to dine like he had suggested. Elena blinked, not really expecting such an answer. Her gaze dropped momentarily to his hand before returning to his amused, smooth features. She had to admit her encounter with Elijah was going better that she had expected. He had always been gentle with her, unlike the others; apart from the time he had used her to save his siblings from Esther's deadly intentions. With the hope that they would talk about his life so far and how he ended up there more than her, she nodded and took a few steps towards the direction that his hand was showing. He right away caught up with her step, leading them to the entrance to the inside part of the deck, so they could go to the self-service restaurant.

As they walked quietly, Elena swallowed thickly and tucked her hands in the pockets of her jacket, her mocha hues fixed on the floor all the time. It wasn't his company that she was scared of; it was attachment to the past. And him.


	3. Spaces between us

Elena felt the eyes of all the other travelers in the self-service restaurant of deck 8 of the ship falling upon her and Elijah once they had made their entrance. She couldn't deny that she was afraid to come across to another acquaintance; though deep down she knew she wouldn't. She followed Elijah towards the booths on which the food they could choose from was placed. Elijah was finished before her and he took a seat at a table next to the window, at the corner of the lounge, having a plate of spaghetti and a glass of red wine on his disk. Soon after, Elena joined him, reluctance still apparent on her movements and general behaviour. They were sitting opposite to each other. Elena at first avoided eye-contact with him and instead, she kept her attention focused on the Caesar's salad on the disk in front of her. It had been a while since she had eaten human food.

"Cheers." she heard his smooth voice saying, reason enough to make her lift her gaze from her disk and meet his.

He was holding his glass of wine raised; Elena nervously took her glass of coke and clinked it to his, forcing a sly smile upon her lips as she did so.

Elijah gulped down a small sip of the bitter contents of his glass before placing it back down on the table, next to his plate.

"You asked me why I am travelling. It's for professional purposes. My family recently discovered that a part of our property back in the times when we were living in Eastern Europe still existed. My brother longed to regain it but considering he is busy in New Orleans, I had to be the one to settle the agreement." Elijah said abruptly while twirling some of the spaghetti around his fork, his dark hazel gaze lowered to his food now.

Elena was rather taken aback by his comfortable and sudden explanation of his travelling purposes but then again she knew that Elijah wasn't a man with secrets; he was always true to his words but he also never said more than he should. It was sad to see him being a pawn of his brother's will once again but she knew how loyal he was to his family; they shared an understanding on this matter.

"I see…" she simply said, her vocal tone low and uncertain of what else she could say. Last time she had seen him, she had found out that he was sharing some kind of romance with the other Petrova doppelganger, Katherine Pierce. She was curious what had happened with her but she didn't dare to ask. Given that Elijah was travelling alone, he must had already fallen under her spell and ended up hurt and abandoned, just like every other man Katherine pretended to love.

"So…why did you leave Mystic Falls? Alone." Elijah now asked her before feeding himself a bite from his plate of spaghetti. His piercing, dark brown eyes were focused on her once again, so intently that she felt like he could see through her.

She took a deep breath and averted her gaze away from him, staring out of the window. Just like earlier, she couldn't distinguish the ocean from the murk night sky. She clenched her teeth, precarious whether she should tell him about her story and purposes or not. But it was only fair, he had always been honest and open to her, it would be inappropriate if she didn't do the same.

"I…I made a new start; a new life. I realized that the best thing I could do in order to keep the people I love safe is to let them go. Everyone around me is dying…because of me."

Her voice broke at the end. She felt her eyes getting wet with tears, yet again she managed to blink them away and go unnoticed. She only shot a brief glance towards him, so as to study his reactions; he had stopped eating and he was running his index finger around the rim of his glass of wine. His features were as unreadable as always, the only difference was a soft frown that had taken over his forehead.

"So you are keeping a distance from everyone from your past?" he ended up asking her, a question she quite expected.

Elena simply nodded as an answer prior to gulping down some of the coke in her glass. Maybe the fact that she wanted to stay detached to her "previous life" would make him go away. Though she had to admit it felt nice to be able to hang out with someone, knowing that she wouldn't have to leave for another country the next day. It was like having an actual friend.

Elena rested her hands on the table and crossed her fingers, sinking into her thoughts. Silence conquered between them for a few minutes before it was broken by him.

"You haven't touched your salad." he commented, glancing down at the bowl filled with salad in front of her before bringing his dark oculars back to her enchanting facial features.

She arched an amused eyebrow at him, an action that surprised even her. He knew she didn't need to eat human food, yet he was teasing. Managing a sly smile at him, she finally found the courage to ask this burning question that was poisoning her mind.

"What happened with you and Katherine?"

She had planned inside her head many other ways to form this question but she ended up choosing the easiest and most simple one. But she hadn't predicted how upset this question would make him. He was drinking some of his wine when she inquired about how his relationship with Katherine had developed. He stopped right away and set his glass back on the table prior to patting his thin lips with the napkin. It was him who avoided looking at her now.

"I had to let her go." he said sharply, his muscular shoulders rolling into a slight shrug as he did so.

"Why?" Elena carried on with her questions on the matter, her perfectly sculptured eyebrows furrowed together in confusion and surprise to Elijah's reply.

"She is not exactly conventional with my family." he answered hastily, with his dark brown orbs narrowing slightly at the thought and memory. "I have promised to my siblings that we stick together as one, always and forever…so Katerina and I are separated since I moved to New Orleans."

After he finished his short narration, he lowered his head downwards and snorted quietly, in a rather polite manner. His strong, firm fingers tugged on the edges of the sleeves of his black jacket, straightening them. Elena could now see the sorrow this story was bringing to him.

"I'm sorry." she said, in an understanding and sympathetic tone. She knew how it felt to leave the one you love behind.

Her compassion was a gift; she should carry it with her, always and forever. That's what he had written to her in a letter, a long time ago. That letter was now ashes, along with her brother's body and her old house. A new house would have probably taken over that spot in Mystic Falls by now. But it was true that even now that she was a vampire, her compassion hadn't faded away. She was carrying it with her during her eternal life. That thought was the reason for his features to soften and his thin brims to curve in a soft, suave smile.

Soon after, the two vampires decided to go outside on the deck again, for a walk. They both stood next to the balustrade, under the moonlit. The sky wasn't cloudy anymore but the soft breeze was even colder than earlier; luckily for them, they couldn't feel it. Admiring the power of nature and the beauty of the rough, untamed sea was another thing they shared. For a while, they were just enjoying each other's company, without saying much. But the moment came when they were gazing at the darkness of the liquid abyss that was surrounding the ship and he set a debatable, hurtful question to her.

"Do you ever miss being human, Elena?" he asked suddenly, turning his head and attention towards her. Curiosity was laced on his features, unlike Elena, who started feeling uneasy.

Being human was a memory and a state she hadn't thought for quite some time now. The cure was lost after Katherine had stolen it, so every chance of being human had vanished along with it.

"It's not being human that I miss…it's my life when I was human and there were no vampires involved in my life. I miss my life as human when I was living in oblivion to all the dangers and all the supernatural creatures living among us."

It was true; she missed Damon, she missed Stefan, but mostly she missed the ignorance and innocence she felt before supernatural entered her life. Nothing bad ever happened in Mystic Falls nor her life before her parents died. She wanted that life back and with her running away, deep down that's what she wanted to achieve and earn again.

"I should go back to my room." she suddenly said, turning away from him in order to walk away also.

But he didn't let her walk away that easily. He took a few, big steps after her until he managed to grasp her slender arm in his gentle grip, provoking her from walking further.  
"I didn't mean to upset you." his suave voice came to her ears.

He had no intention of vexing her; though he could guess some of his questions during that night would have managed to do that. She turned towards him right away after he spoke, with a vain smile plastered upon her luscious brims. She shook her head in disagreement.

"You didn't." she responded, prior to gifting him one more idle smile.

He remained still, his chestnut optics capturing her own for a few seconds, examining her feelings and reactions that were apparent on her features and gaze. He nodded firmly and slowly let her arm slide out of his hold. Once she was free from his grip, she pressed her lips together in a thin line, giving him once last look before walking away with fast, small steps. She didn't turn back to look at him before she disappeared through the door that was leading to the indoors part of the ship. Elijah was left alone now, standing still next to the balusters; his expression thoughtful and skeptical over the past events and words of that night.

Elena intended to go back to her cabin and drain one more of the blood bags she was carrying along. She was still waiting for the day when reminiscing the past wouldn't bring any rage and misery to her. But soon Elena found herself not heading to her own cabin; instead she knocked on the door of one of the other cabins in the corridor, after having made sure with her hearing that there is one person inside. It was a blonde, young woman who opened the door, pale and cold as she looked at Elena with her thin eyebrows elevated in wonder about what she wanted. Elena's chocolate brown captivating gaze caught the other woman's.

"Don't be afraid and don't make a sound. Once I'm gone, you will forget any of this happened. You will forget /me/." Elena emphasized on the last word of her sentence as she compelled the stranger woman with her vampire powers.

After the innocent voyager repeated her words, Elena's brims curved into a malicious, small smirk. She stepped inside the cabin of the female traveler and shut the door closed behind her.

No sound came out of the room until Elena walked out, with the collar of her shirt and her chin covered in blood. She used the back of her hand to wipe her lips and jaw clean prior to making her way back to her cabin, the place where she stayed for the rest of the first night on the ship.


	4. You're here in my heart

Most people claim that the sunset is the most beautiful time of the day; the ford from day to night, the sky mixed with various colours that result in a mesmerizing, peaceful spectacle. Elijah Mikaelson had a different opinion about this natural beauty; for him the most glorious part of the day was the dawn. That was also the reason why he always stayed up at night and watched the sunrise. That's what he did that night, as well.

After the unfortunate and abrupt ending of his night with Elena, he remained outside on the deck, alone. He didn't even realize how the hours passed while he was sunk in his thoughts and memories. His mind travelled so far back in time, to the blurry anymore figure of Tatia, to the beautiful Katerina and lastly, to the lovely Elena Gilbert. He hadn't decided yet whether he approved of her determinative decision to start a new life or not. He was also one who had left behind the woman he loved, for the sake of his family and his loyalty to them. He didn't regret his decision. But Elena, she had no family anymore. After all the death she had witnessed, after all the hurt she had gone through, wanting to start over was definitely an understanding option, even if she had to let go and hurt those who loved once last time; not only them but herself, too. The first bright, warm beams of the sun shined from the horizon, falling upon Elijah's smooth, restless facial features, provoking him from being lost in his intimate thoughts any longer. He watched the sun rising, as if it was peeping out of the water of the sea. Soon after, Elijah swiveled and steered towards the indoors part of the ship, in order to find his partners; though he recognized that deep down, he was only hoping to come across to Elena again that day.

To his surprise, just before he had passed through the door that would lead him inside, an intense, familiar smell pierced through his nostrils; a smell known to him for over a thousand years. Bitter and metallic, the scent hovering in the air was blood. Even though the odour was tempting and intriguing, throughout the centuries Elijah had worked hard on controlling his blood lust; as result, the scent of blood didn't agitate him anymore. Without hesitation, he followed the tang, trusting his expert vampire senses. It didn't take him long to figure out that the smell was coming from the prow of the ship. Someone was either hurt or…or there had been a vampire attack. As far as he knew though, he and Elena were the only vampires on board. He could guess Elena wouldn't act so recklessly. But he was wrong.

Once Elijah reached the prow, his hands clenched into fists and his teeth gritted together in somewhat surprise to what he was witnessing. Elena was sitting on the floor, with another blonde woman lying in her arms. Around them there was small pond of blood and scratches on the ground, signs of struggle. The young female vampire was feeding on the traveler's neck, hungrily enough as outrageous growls escaping her throat proved. She didn't even seem to notice his presence. Elijah acted quickly, not allowing Elena's exposure to be in danger any longer. Using his Original vampire speed, with a blur he was next to her, kneeled down on the ground. He pulled her in his embrace unscrupulously, without any difficulty since he had much more strength that she did. He held her in his tight, safe grip while she was striving to go back to her meal, which was lying dead on the cold floor.

"Elena, stop." Elijah snarled against her hair, without letting her go.

Elena's fists slammed against his chest and muscular arms multiple times during her attempt to get away and give in to her blood lusting nature. Elijah couldn't understand why she was acting like this; yesterday night she seemed fine and stable, apart from the last moments of their meeting when she got upset. But he had no time to try to explain her behaviour; his current task was to calm her down.

"Elena…" he whispered, finally feeling the slender figure weakening in his hold. Her continuous struggling had exhausted her.

She laid motionless and soundless in his embrace, with her head resting upon his broad chest. He felt the fabric starting to get wet, which made him realize that Elena was crying. Quietly, Elena was sobbing, her hands now gripping the material of his shirt. He felt helpless; he didn't know what was wrong with her, therefore he didn't know what to tell her or how to act around her. All he could do was being sympathetic.

"Elena, look at me." he muttered, placing his forefinger below her chin, tilting her head upwards so that they were facing each other.

She responded to his guiding movements, looking up at him with teary, sorrowful eyes. His gaze met hers and his thumb traced her jaw line smoothly and tenderly. He hadn't been present to another moment when she was woebegone like this. It was then when he became conscious about the fact that it was the first time they had never been so close, that they had never touched each other like this. He had always been trying to keep a safe distance, not just from her but from everyone. Those limits were broken now; there she was, lying in his arms, their faces only a few inches away from each other.

Elijah had always been in control of his emotions and his actions, as human and as a vampire. But that moment he acted on impulse; he didn't think, he didn't consider the consequences. He just did what he had the urge to do. Escaping Elena's doleful gaze, his eyes lowered to her parted, swollen due to the sobbing lips, only for a few seconds before he crushed his own to them. He kissed her, softly at first. He wanted to be gentle, he tried to be. He remained still, with his thin lips pressed to her own, waiting whether she would respond or pull away. His head felt empty of thoughts and doubts that would hold him back from giving in to the bewitching beauty of the young vampire in his arms. After a short while, he felt her dry, warm lips pressing back to his, accepting and returning his kiss. That gave him motivation to allow his large palms to roam around her slender body, caressing her sides and her back, pressing her closer to him. Gradually, the kiss they shared became more intense and deep. Elena's feeble hands gripped the collar of his jacket, her body clinging completely to his. Their lips were now moving together in a passionate, fierce rhythm. He could taste the blood still stained on her lips as his tongue was gliding across her bottom one prior to parting her brims and entering her mouth. Their tongues fought for dominance and their bodies rubbed against each other with longing. Both of them out of control and realization of their actions, they didn't even feel the rain that had started pouring down on them and the rest of their surroundings. Elena ran her slim digits through Elijah's wet locks, pulling him as close to her as possible. At the same time, his large, strong hands swinged her upon his lap as he was sitting on the wet floor, hooking her slender legs around his waist. Their kiss never broke; instead it was becoming more and more passionate and needy. At the feeling of Elena grinding against him, Elijah released a low, yearning groan into her mouth prior to placing his palms against her bottom, grabbing it so as to push her even tighter against him. He needed her; he wanted her. He had no idea why this was happening but he couldn't control himself, he was completely unrestrained. He stood up, lifting her up along with him, since her legs were still wrapped around his waist. The total bliss he was in was briefly broken but the sudden flash of the dead body still lying on the ground. To their advantage, though, the rain had managed to wash away the blood on the floor. He didn't stop kissing her nor holding her against him as he leaned down, using only one hand to take hold of the arm of the lifeless female body. His strength was more than enough to toss the victim away from the ship's boundaries, off of the balusters, straight into the ocean. He couldn't put anymore thought to that matter during that moment. His whole attention went back to Elena; his white pearls captured her bottom lip between them and tugged on it before going back to caressing her tongue with his. His hands were searching every part of her body through her wet clothes, touching her everywhere possible; he needed to feel her, to touch her. Every inch of her, he needed it. Finally, one of his hands skipped into the pocket of her jeans, finding the key to her cabin. With one brief glance, he saw the number and used his extremely fast vampire speed to blur them back inside the ship. They moved around the corridors, so fast that no one around them would notice. It took them only a few seconds to arrive to the corridor in which Elena's cabin was. Elijah pushed her against the wall next to the door, so that her back hits against it. Using his one hand, he managed to unlock the door and push it open, while still being occupied with kissing her sweet, luscious brims with so much passion that he never knew he possessed. He carried her inside and kicked the door closed again behind them. After tossing the key away into the room, both of his hands gripped her thighs that were tightly holding onto around his waist. They collapsed on the mattress of the bed, with him on top, fully in control.

He forced his lips to hers even harder, though that wasn't enough to suppress the soft moans that were escaping both of them. He hastily pulled off his jacket and tossed it aside before his hands starting working on her jeans; unbuttoning and unzipping them, he managed to take off completely and throw them on the floor next to the bed. He could feel Elena beneath him whimpering as his palms traced her now exposed, bare thighs and her hands undoing the buttons of his shirt at the same time. Once she was done, he slid his shirt off of his shoulders, letting it drop aside along with the rest of their clothing so far. He pulled away from her lips only briefly, sitting up a little in order to pull her wet, sticky shirt over her head, leaving her only in her underwear anymore. Right after, his lips locked with hers again, passionately and fiercely. Her hands were now on his naked, muscular back, caressing it up and down and holding him close down against her. In the meantime, he had reached down to his trousers, unbuckling his belt almost violently due to his urgent need and overwhelming desire. He pulled down the zip and unhooked the bottom prior to forcing his trousers down and off of his feet. His hands were moving fast , skipping to her back, unclipping her bra and pulling it off before getting the change to admire her naked body that was pressing and rubbing against his. Her chest was clung to his own broad one, her erected nipples brushing against his skin as he was grinding against her. One of her hands ran through his hair, gripping it while the other was running down his back, touching the hem of his underwear; her legs were spread for him to lie between them on top of her. It was him who finally got rid the last remains of clothing on both of them; their underwear. Right after, his hand found its way to her intimate area, caressing it gently but only for a brief moment. He had no time for teasing; she didn't either, considering her impatient, lustful whimpers and moans against his lips that were still locked with hers.

He positioned himself against her entrance, burying his hard arousal deep inside her tight, warm folds with a simple movement of bucking up his hips. The feeling of her wet, throbbing walls clutching around his shaft was enough to lead him close to the edge. He pulled away from her lips, a frustrated groan emerging through his own as he did so. His forehead was leaning against hers as he started thrusting, at first on a slow, gentle pace which didn't last long. The feeling was intoxicating and his desire consuming. He picked up on the speed, pounding inside her on a fast, hard pace steadily, making sure to fill her up to the fullest with every thrust. He could feel her heavy, warm breath brushing against his facial features and her hips trying to follow his rapid, needy movements. He had his eyes open, watching her while they were moving together as one; soon her own dark oculars fluttered open and met his own, increasing the bliss and the pleasure they were both receiving by the moment they shared. The atmosphere became steamier and the air was filled with yearning sounds coming from both of them. They both reached the point of climax, arriving to the peak of their ecstasy. Once so, Elijah slowed down his trusts, making them more gentle at the same time until he finally stopped. For a few seconds, they remained still, their bodies still entwined and their satisfied gazes locked together. Finally, he leaned in, stealing one more, tender, lingering kiss from her lips before pulling out of her and rolling to the side, next to her on the bed which was barely big enough for both of them.

Neither of them said a word; there were no words. Elijah stared up at the ceiling, trying to regain his control and gather his thoughts back in his head. But at that time, it felt impossible. Elena shifted closer to him, laying her head against his strong chest. He looked down at her, with a soft smile taking over his features. He wasn't sure what any of this meant. But he was sure that he had never felt so much connection, so much passion, and so many profound feelings. He put one of his vigorous arms around her frame, in order to hold her close to him. Soon both of them drifted into a light, needless sleep, feeling content and felicitious.

Before he dozed off, Elijah's final thought was: "What was going on in Elena's head? Why did this happen and what does it mean to her?"

If only he knew he would find out soon.


	5. Love can touch us one time

Most of the decisions we make throughout life, sooner or later we regret them. Some of them we regret right after we make them, some others later in the years when we look back and realise our choices led us to where we are now.

Elena, though, didn't regret sleeping with Elijah that morning. In fact, she didn't regret any of the miraculous things that followed either. But when she woke up, with her head against his broad chest, her strands falling down towards his stomach and sides, she had no idea to how such a so called one-night-stand would evolve. She opened her eyes and looked up at him; he was already awake and his dark gaze was fixed upon the ceiling, intently. Briefly, she thought she spotted a faint smile curving upon his lips once she laid her eyes on him. He looked down at her, his fingertips brushing smoothly upon her long chocolate brown hair. In the meantime, Elena took a moment to trace his vigorous abs and leave a trail of kisses along his strong chest. She thought she would feel uncomfortable around him like this, considering their physical connection had always been distant and typical; but she didn't. She felt warm, safe, free. The memories of the previous night, when she had fed on one of the passengers and slaughtered another one in the morning, they were all vague anymore. The pressure she had felt, the sorrow, they were all gone; though deep down she knew soon or later, when her relationship with Elijah would go back to how it was, it would all return.

"Good morning." she heard his calm, low voice murmuring.

Without an answer, she simply reached up and pressed her lips to his, in a tender, lingering kiss. She felt his big palms cupping her cheeks, holding her face close to his, his tongue parting her lips, tangling with her own. Elena involuntarily clung to him more, dragging her nails softly down his muscular sides. His fingers were now in her hair, gripping her locks as their kiss became more intense. She rolled on top of him, feeling his morning erection pressing between her legs, challenging her to give in to his affections again. She bit down on his bottom lip, rougher than she would like, causing it to bleed. Even though that wasn't much of a pain, especially for an Original like him, he emitted a low groan. Elena's lips captured his bleeding one, sucking and drawing blood hungrily out of it. She had never tasted an Original's blood before; only Klaus' but he was a hybrid after all, the taste was different. Damon's blood, back in the past, had been quite intoxicating but this was different. It was sensual, exhilarating. She released his lip and kissed down to his jaw and then even lower to his neck and collarbone. She looked up at him while her lips were working their way with kisses down to his chest and to his abs and abdomen; his eyes were closed, his hands still in her hair. Going even lower, she finally reached his erection and wrapped her lips around the tip, twirling her tongue around it. Moving her head back and forth slowly, she began sucking him, her nails running up and down his muscular legs in the meantime. His loud, satisfied moans filled the heated atmosphere, his grip on her hair becoming tighter, even though he didn't realise it. She picked up on the pace, bombing her head up and down his arousal until he reached his release and came in her mouth. She swallowed down the bitter cum without reluctance and licked her lips before sitting up upon his broad frame. Her head was completely empty of negative thoughts and that's what she loved most about this situation she shared unexpectedly with Elijah. She smiled down at him, noticing how his dark chestnut oculars sparkled with anticipation; frankly, she had to admit that even then, his expression was unreadable. She lifted her hips and positioned herself correctly, sitting down on his erection, leading it as deep as it could go inside of her. Placing her slim palms upon his chest, she began rolling her hips against his slowly. Her breath hitched as she felt him grasping her hips, holding them so he could make her ride him on a faster pace. She kept staring down at him, intently, right in the eyes as their bodies were moving as one faster and faster by the minute. She bit down on her bottom lip but didn't manage to suppress the frustrated moans that were building in her throat due to the captivating feeling of him buried deep inside of her, her walls matching his size perfectly, their hips beautifully synchronized while she was riding him. They came almost at the same time, the sound of each other's name filling the air of the room, their juices mixing. She collapsed upon his chest, burying her face in the crook of his neck. She smiled softly to herself, completely enchanted by the feeling of freedom. It was almost like when she had no humanity; though then she just didn't care. Now, she had just let go of the pain; for now, at least. She felt his muscular arms wrapping around her sweaty, slender body, his lips whispering against her hair.  
"What are you thinking?" he asked quietly.

Truthfully, she didn't expect him to ask anything like that; she expected more like a comment on the sexual moment they shared or anything similar.

"Absolutely nothing…" she whispered back, giving him an honest answer prior to planting a soft kiss upon his neck.

She couldn't see his reaction to her answer; she could only hope he was satisfied. Considering his palm that started caressing her back up and down slowly, he must have been pleased.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, both silent, simply enjoying the touch and closeness of each other. They had both been lonely for so long, a connection like this was quite enchanting, even though spontaneous. When Elijah had first seen Elena, standing in that dirty room of the abandoned house Rose had brought her in, he would never have guessed that four years later they would be lying in the same bed naked, after having slept with each other. Elena as well, when she was with Stefan or even later with Damon, she would never have even thought that one day she would be shagging the most suave Original vampire of them all. In fact, the strings that attached her to her past loves, the Salvatore brothers, were probably the reason why she couldn't move on; until the sorrow became so much that out of impulse she succumbed to Elijah.

Later on, she shifted in her position, slowly rolling out of his embrace prior to sitting and standing up completely. She stretched her body, the thought that Elijah could have a good look at her then not even passing through her mind. She walked towards the small bathroom attached to her cabin, shutting the door behind her before getting in the shower. Elijah from outside could hear the water running, the image of her naked, irresistible body in the steam and water not being able to get blocked out of his head. He sat up as well, resting his back against the wall next to the bed, the sheets covering his naked body. He sighed. What was he doing? What was he thinking? He wasn't really the man who would accept a woman's affections without having feelings for her, which would eventually grow deeper and bigger. It was true that he and Elena always shared some kind of connection; maybe not exactly romantic, maybe not even friendly but they had an understanding. A respect that he never had with anyone else; and compassion. They shared a profound connection. He always felt somehow attracted to her; her outside was indisputably beautiful, she was a part of the Petrova bloodline after all. But her personality was what charmed him most; she reminded him of Katerina when she didn't have the Katherine façade. She reminded him of Tatia, as well. But mostly, she just enchanted him for who she was; a special person, separate to the other Petrova ladies. He ran his fingers through his dark hair, deciding to shut his feelings for her out until he knew how she felt about these moments that they shared this morning. The bathroom door opened again and Elena came out, with a red towel wrapped around her body. She flashed him a soft smile before taking the towel off. She picked up his shirt from earlier, which was already dry, and slid it on; it covered her body until up to her thighs. She plopped down on the mattress next to him again, her gaze meeting his own. Right away though, he briefly bended forwards, reaching down to his jacket which was lying on the floor, his large palm searching through the pocket until he found what he needed; a small, black velvet box. Securing it in his hand, he came back to his previous position, opening his palm to show it to Elena.

"You know…" he started, his tone slightly hesitant. "After the entire journey that you did to get this, no one used it after all."

Elena furrowed her eyebrows in confusion though it didn't take her long to understand what Elijah was talking about. As he opened the box, she saw the small case with the light red liquid in it. The cure to vampirism.

"You still have this? How?" she asked, apparently surprised and astonished. The frown remained upon her features, taking over her forehead. She thought Silas had gotten it that night he had appeared to Elijah as Rebekah. That's what she had heard.

"Silas tried to get it from me…but I recognised him…Niklaus had already filled me in about Rebekah's failure in my little test and my sister is honest…coming to me and saying she passed with flying colours…" he shook his head, pressing his lips in a thin line before speaking again. "…it was clearly a lie. I heard that you after all didn't want the cure nor one of the Salvatores did, so I was left with it." He continued.

Elijah lifted his dark hazel gaze, placing his forefinger below Elena's chin, raising it up as well so she can look back at him. Their eyes met again, gazing into each other deeply. He could feel how tense and confused she was. That was the reason why the came up with his next question. With his free hand, he took one of her own and placed the box with the cure inside it prior to placing his palm above hers afterwards.

"Elena…" he whispered now, smoothly and calmly, his hand cupping her chin, holding her face close to his, their eye-contact not breaking. "Do you want to be human?"

_**I would like to apologize to everyone who is following this story, for taking a few weeks to post a new chapter. Inspiration was dying and the summer holidays are not exactly helpful. Thank you for your understanding but mostly for all the kind reviews, follows and favourites to this story but also me. The chapters are moving slowly with the continuation of the story; that is because I want to emphasize on the events and not leave any blanks; besides the whole story is supposed to happen in around 4 days of their voyage. Now is still day 2. Stay tuned, many more chapters are coming. Hope you liked this one, though I believe it could have been much better and longer, I worked on it kind of quickly. Nonetheless, the romance and the voyage continue. Thank you all. **_


	6. There's nothing I fear

Throughout life, there are many moments when we have to make a life-changing decisions. It is up to us what we choose and once we do so, we might never be given the opportunity again, if we change our mind. That was the emotional situation Elena was in as she stood by the balusters on Deck 8 of the ship, alone, with her jacket wrapped tightly around her slender body. It's not like she felt the cold, she didn't; that was one of the advantages of being a vampire. Her position was a defensive one. It was only a few hours ago when Elijah had suggested giving the cure for vampirism to her. It had been a long time since she had last thought of being human again. Mostly because she assumed that someone had already taken the cure and the opportunity didn't exist anymore.

She had told Elijah that she needed time alone, to think. His proposal had shaken her to a point she didn't expect but also her romantic affections with him lately needed some time of contemplation. It was sunset time. The hours had passed without her realizing it; she hadn't moved, she was only enjoying the calmness of the dark blue ocean spreading ahead of her whilst she was lost in her thoughts. During the last two years, after she had run away from Mystic Falls, she had given in and embraced her vampire nature, taking advantage of all its special features. Letting go of all that now sounded slightly unpleasant. But the thought of her going back to her old human life, when innocence, compassion and humanity consumed her sounded intriguing, too. Mixing those two options led to the indecision she was drowning in.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the captain's voice coming from the speakers all over the ship. He announced that at 9 pm, in the main hall on Deck 7, a ball would take place and all the passengers are invited, for free drinks, food and dancing. Elena sighed. The last time she had danced was the time right before she slept with Damon for the first time, while they were remembering the time when they had first danced together, at the Miss Mystic Falls contest. She lowered her gaze to her black All Stars and started walking along the deck. She felt lonely. The time she had passed with Elijah was surprisingly graceful and warm; it felt good to feel a man's touch again, after all this time. She wanted to go back to him, to ask his advice. Should she accept the cure? Was it really what she wanted? She always felt that becoming a vampire had changed her in a positive way. It had made her more mature and down to earth. But still she missed the time of being human, when she didn't have to kill to live, when she didn't feel the consuming bloodlust. She ran her digits through her dark brown locks, tucking a strand behind her ear. She turned to head towards her cabin, seeking privacy since the deck was already filled with passengers walking around, spreading the news about the ball and going back to their cabins as well, to get ready. But to her surprise, someone was blocking her way.

"Elena." he heard Elijah's familiar, smooth voice saying. He always called her name as a greeting.

"Elijah…" she murmured, taking a deep breath. "I thought I told you I needed to be alone." she frowned, narrowing her eyes at him, in an attempt to hide the slightest delight that she felt for seeing him.

"I know and I shall, I was only wondering if you would like to accompany me at the ball tonight." he said, gifting her one of his soft, kind smiles afterwards.

Elena was caught off guard. A part of her had thought and wished he would ask her to go with him but mostly she still believed that no matter what happened between them, there was still an emotional distance to keep them apart. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out till a few seconds later.

"I would like to but I don't have with me any kind of such formal clothing…" she started reluctantly but he interrupted her.  
"There is already a dress waiting for you on your bed. I'll be outside of your cabin at 3 minutes to 9 o'clock." he said and nodded, before walking past her and vanishing again among the rest of the passengers on the deck.

Elena was left speechless. She wasn't used to such kind of behaviour coming from him. She had seen him passionate when they slept together but never so romantic and determined. Without giving any more thought to it, she continued her way back to her cabin. Once she was inside, she realized that the Original wasn't lying; one her bed there was a big black box. She sat next to it and opened it without hesitation, only to come across to the most beautiful black dress she had ever seen. Elijah might be old fashioned but at least he had a great taste in clothing. A sly smile crept on her features at that thought. She put the dress away for now and picked up a blood bag from inside her suitcase. She couldn't exactly tell what it was that she felt. This trip, this unexpected experience with Elijah, it made her feel…free. It was different to everything she had felt before; belonging with Damon, protection and stability with Stefan. Taking small sips of blood from the bag and checking her phone for the time every ten minutes, she waited until 8 pm so she could start getting ready.

Elijah was standing outside Elena's cabin at the exact time he said he would be there. Punctuality had always been one of his mastered characteristics. He was dressed in black suit, a white shirt underneath the jacket, and a bowtie right under his neck. He leaned his back against the wall of the corridor and waited until Elena was ready and came out of the room. It only took a few seconds; Elena, having her hair now slightly curly instead of straight as usual, stepped out of the cabin, wearing the black dress Elijah gave her along with black heels. The shapes on the material of the dress, along with her dashing, shining make up made sure she wouldn't go unnoticed. Elijah leaned forward, standing fully on his feet again, his lips parted a little in astonishment. She truly looked beautiful, to the point he couldn't find any words to express his amazement. He smiled at her politely, picking up one of her hands delicately, bringing it up to his lips so he could plant a soft kiss on the back of it.

He couldn't help but notice the dim rosy colour that crept on her cheeks.

"Your exquisite beauty will certainly be one of the highlights of this night, Elena." he finally said, his dark hazel gaze unable to leave her features.

She giggled, almost soundlessly and curtsied. The feeling of freedom was back. She couldn't recognise herself with him, during this voyage. But she also couldn't recognise him, being so warm, gentle and funny with her. It was like they were different people. Maybe, if they had met in another life, she could have fallen in love with him. She linked her arm to his and let him escort her up to Deck 7, to the main hall where the ball took place.

At the right side of the room there were multiple booths at which members of the crew served dishes of many different kinds of cuisine as well as refreshments and drinks. At the left side, there were a few tables at which mostly old passengers or children sat. In the centre there was the orchestra at the back and the dance floor at the front. Elena looked amazed, from the first moment they arrived. She had attended many proms, dances and balls but none was like this; so luxurious and well-organized.  
"Would you like something to drink?" she heard Elijah's voice coming like from afar.  
She blinked, snapping out of the ecstasy the bright, glorious surroundings caused her. She simply nodded, without looking at him. Her chocolate brown gaze wandered among the rest of the passengers that were already there, admiring their lovely looks and clothing, without even realising a big amount of people was already staring at her for her own ravishing appearance.

In the meantime, Elijah picked up two glasses of champagne from the bar at the side of the hall and came back to her. He could see her there, among the crowd, yet still she was as noticeable as the moon on the night sky. He had never gotten to experience anything like this with Katerina. Their brief relationship was way too much one-sided, he could see that now. As for Tatia, the times back then were different so he couldn't compare the internal warmth he felt then with the one he felt now with Elena. He approached her and gave her one of the champagne glasses before clinking his to it.  
"Cheers." he said, smiling at her wider than usual.

It was only then when Elena turned her attention back to him. Her gaze brushed all over his handsome, chivalrous facial features. She had never thought of him as "hot and sexy" but she couldn't deny he was charming and enchanting. By getting older she had started to be more interested in beauty than sexiness and hotness. It was probably what was alluring her to him so much lately. She mirrored his smile, clinking her glass back to his before taking a sip from the cold contents of it. Their gazes met at that exact moment, just like the day at the Mikaelson ball, when she had lied to him about Esther's plans. The memory made her undead, vampire heart jump and her eyes to avert from his.

He sensed that she was feeling uncomfortable, therefore he took the glass from her hand and put it away along with his on the disk of a waiter that was walking by. Instead, he took her hand in his and walked towards the dance floor, dragging her gently along with him. She didn't resist.

They say classical music is what mostly affects the soul, calms down the spirit and gets the mind in control. That night the orchestra mostly played slow waltz pieces of music, allowing the couples to come close to each other and connect mentally. In the centre of the room, dressed in many different colours, danced rhythmically over thirty couples but it was one of them that stole the performance and the attention of everyone; some passengers called them "the black couple" because both the man and the girl were dressed in black. Since half past nine till eleven o'clock, they kept waltzing around the room, perfectly synchronized, with unbreakable eye-contact. Some female passengers were already gossiping about the black couple, envying the expensive, dashing clothing of the girl but also the patience, concentration and lack of tiredness that drove both dancing partners. No one knew them as Elijah Mikaelson and Elena Gilbert though, therefore no one would remember them for the extraordinary dancing performance they offered to the crowd, even though that's not why they did it. Dance can bring many emotions to the surface; passion, chemistry, connection, ardour and fervour. All those were expressed that night with absolute clarity, through a simple waltz that Elijah and Elena shared. Their vampire powers didn't allow them to get tired but it would be unnatural to keep dancing consecutively after two hours, hence why they stopped.

They walked to the side of the hall, holding hands, avoiding everyone's intense staring.

"I should have known that living all these years would make you a great dancer." Elena whispered to him once they had stopped, surprised by her own daring to make such a compliment to the Original vampire.  
He chuckled but didn't say anything. He gave her hand a light squeeze and brushed his thumb along the back of it smoothly; those actions were enough for her to avert her gaze from the dance floor and look at him, straight in the eyes. He wasn't looking back at her; instead he was watching their hands, seeming lost in his thoughts.

They didn't say another word till moments later, when the passengers started leaving the ball, the crowd becoming less and less and the music lower and lower since many travelers were heading to sleep.  
"Would you like to go for a walk outside?" Elijah whispered in his usual, low tone, his lips close up to Elena's ear, even though it wasn't needed for her to hear him.

She simply nodded and followed him out of the main hall, towards the outside part of the deck. The sea was calm and a light layer of fog was lying just above the water. They walked side by side slowly along the balusters, without talking. Their vampire hearing allowed them to hear the low sound of the water slamming against the sides of the large ship as well as the voices of dolphins swimming a few metres away from the course of the ship. It was a cool, quiet, peaceful night, with the full moon shining upon the dark sky, reflecting on the surface of the water as well.

Elijah and Elena finally reached the prow of the ship, the spot where they had first seen each other during the voyage. They stopped walking there and stood at the front edge of the deck, looking ahead. There was no land visible; no islands, no other ships. Absolute isolation. Elijah turned to face her, his deep, dark gaze studying her facial expression. He brought his free hand up to her cheek, caressing it with his fingertips. Elena shivered at his smooth touch, lowering her eyes before bringing them upon his handsome features. She should have known the romance growing between them wouldn't be for just one time; Elijah wasn't that kind of man.  
"Have you thought of my proposal?" he murmuring quietly, their eyes meeting and locking together.

Elena didn't answer. She had thought of his proposal but hadn't really decided. How could she? The pros and cons were balanced. She sighed and brought her second hand to his that was on her cheek, closing her eyes as she nodded slowly. She stopped breathing as she suddenly felt his cold lips pressing to her own. She hesitantly kissed him back, without giving it much thought. Their sudden, soft kiss lasted a few seconds before he pulled back again, his fingers now brushing on her hair next to the side of her face. He kept murmuring.  
"And what did you decide, Elena?"  
She swallowed; her eyes were still closed. Her head was spinning. Why did he have to do this right now? After all the freedom and letting go she had felt that night with him, the confusion and indecision was back. She shook her head, leaning into his hand at the side of her face.  
"I…" she started but she stopped so she could quietly sniffle. It was time for a life-changing decision. She had to decide there and then. And it was impulse that drove her to her next words.  
"I want to be human…Elijah."


	7. My heart will go on

All humans, at least once during their life, feel like monsters. Some of them even call themselves like that, either because they are bad people or because they hurt and destroy everyone around them. During our human life, we turn into monsters, one way or another. There is no happy ending for monsters. Is there one for humans? What happens when a monster turns back into human? What are the consequences? Elena would soon find the answer to all those questions.

Her sight became blurry and her knees weakened, as if they couldn't hold her small weight. Elena dropped to her knees on the wooden floor of the deck and wrapped her arms around her stomach. She was feeling sick. She could feel how the blood was leaving her previously rosy cheeks, leaving them pale and cold. She gasped for air, squeezing her eyes shut. All the intense senses, all the easiness to breathe, to move, they were all gone. She groaned and grabbed the balusters in front of her, panting. She was feeling dizzy and cold, as if she had fever. That was when Elijah's muscular arms locked around her, pulling her into his embrace. He was sitting on the floor, next to her, stroking her hair as she buried her face into his chest, without giving much thought to it. She gripped his shirt and sighed, remaining still, trying to control the overwhelming feelings. Being a vampire may had heightened everything she felt as human but this was completely different. It was like someone was sucking the life out of her, leaving her ill and emotionally empty, though being human again should mean exactly the opposite. She caught herself trembling, though Elijah's smoothing touch on her back helped her stop it.

"How are you feeling?" she heard his voice coming like from afar.  
He was whispering against her hair and if she still were a vampire, she would be able to hear him far more than clearly. Now she felt deaf; helpless. She had forgotten how everything was when she was human and she had to admit, getting used to being a vampire now seemed much easier than this. She couldn't answer to him. She felt like if she did, she would throw up. Instead of getting better, the consequences of taking the cure seemed to get worse and worse by the minute. Her head was spinning, her thoughts were a mess and didn't follow a logical order. Flashes of her time with Damon, Stefan, her brother Jeremy and her best friends Bonnie and Caroline popped in front of her closed eyes. She started tearing up. The thought of leaving them all behind brought a consuming guilt and sorrow to pierce through her chest. She wasn't sure if the pain was more intense when she was a vampire or now as human again. What was she doing there? Why was she putting her trust into Elijah? It was because of his family that she was turned into a vampire in the first place; even though she was meant to actually die and not become a vampire. She had slept with him? Why? How could she? She felt an immediate need to be back in Damon's arms, just like the day before she had left Mystic Falls. She wanted to go back. This life far away from home was her vampire life. Now she wanted to go back, she needed it. It was her human life and it had to be again. She took a deep breath, feeling her lungs once again filling up with oxygen, and she pulled away from Elijah's protective embrace. She avoided eye contact with him and she tucked a strand of her long, straight hair behind her ear.

"I'm fine, Elijah." She nodded, realizing that her voice sounded different than before, when she was still a vampire. Her tone towards him was more formal, like it used to be every time they met in Mystic Falls. He had kept her company when she needed it, maybe a bit too much. She had actually starting growing feelings for him, she could see that now. As a vampire, the last two days, she felt like she needed him but it was because she felt he was connecting her to her past. What she needed was the past. Damon, her ex boyfriend, Stefan her ex boyfriend as well but lastly her friend. That's what she needed. She lifted her mocha coloured gaze to Elijah's facial features, only to find that he was staring at her already. There was something in his eyes, she could say that it was hope. She always had the feeling Elijah was watching her and somehow admiring her while she was human; she believed it was because he had forgotten how it was, to be human. He was a fan of humanity that was for sure, though she always wondered why he hadn't taken the cure himself when he possessed it. She blinked as she felt his hand brushing against her cheek. She shivered. After everything he did for her during the past few days, how could she tell him now that she couldn't do this?

She noticed a frown appearing on his forehead; he must have realized something was wrong. She exhaled sharply and stood up on her feet, supporting herself on the balusters. She averted her gaze away from him, focusing on the dark ocean lying ahead of them. The water was so calm that the stars of the night sky would almost reflect on it, if it wasn't for the fog floating just above its surface. Avoiding to look at Elijah again, Elena took a few, slow, weak steps towards the edge of the prow, with her attention fixed ahead onto the ocean, which was only lit by the moonlight. She stood on the small step, right behind the balusters separating the deck and the sea beneath. She found balance and slowly spread her arms to each side of her body, like waiting to hug someone. She tilted her head backwards and closed her eyes as a smile crept on her facial features. The last time she had felt the sensations of the sea, she was a vampire. She could feel everything much more intensely than now, yet this was much more refreshing and marvelous. She could feel her skin tingling from the cold breeze and her cheeks finding their rosy colour again. She could feel her heart racing due to the danger and the height, since she was standing on the edge. There were so many feelings she had earned when she turned into a vampire but also so many human feelings she had lost and regained now. It was officially her first night as human again. She wanted to consume it, just like she had consumed her vampire nature, though it had taken a while. Now she could feel like herself again; deep down she had always known that she didn't belong to be a vampire. She remained still, with her arms open, ready to embrace the ocean. She had gotten her life back. She was alive, again. All the excitement and adventures throughout her short vampire life had made her feel alive but the feeling of actually being human, with a real heartbeat was completely different to that. It was a unique feeling she had forgotten and regained. All these thoughts were interrupted by Elijah's hands that were suddenly positioned on her sides from the behind and his icy lips caressing the crook of her neck. She shivered but she didn't move. Her mind was telling her to pull away but her heart was right there, in that intimidating moment. She tilted her head to the side, giving him more access to her neck and she withdrew her spread arms, placing her palms on his now. Her eyes remained closed and an involuntary smile appeared on her face. She didn't even realize how fast his brims found her own, kissing them tenderly. She didn't reject him, instead she returned his kiss. Her previous instinct to go back to Mystic Falls, to Damon, it hadn't faded away. But there was something about Elijah that made her feel safe, in a completely different way. She couldn't define it. It wasn't love; but it certainly was magnetic attraction. His smooth, gentle touch, his tender, kisses, they were captivating her.

Their lips remained pressed against each other for a few more seconds before he pulled back and brought his mouth close to her ear, whispering in his usual, calm tone.  
"You are so beautifully human, Elena. You have always been…this is how you belong to be."

She slowly fluttered her eyes open after hearing his profound words. She turned around to face him, placing her palms now against his vigorous chest, smiling up at him.

"Thank you." She answered in the same, whispering tone.  
She wasn't sure about what exactly she was thanking him; giving her the cure, saying those enchanting words to her, keeping her company and being intimate with her during the past two days. Probably for all those reasons. Their gazes were locked together and she could feel as if she was reading her mind, a sensation she used to have with him back when she was human. His strong arms were now around her waist, holding her against him. What was going on inside his head? That was a question Elena had been asking herself from the first day they had met. He hardly ever smiled or expressed any emotions at all. But there was something in the way he was looking at her; sometimes she would call it caring but she doubted that term went along with the Original vampire in front of her, even if she knew for how long he had been in love with Katherine .

She watched him as he leaned in towards her, capturing her plush brims with his again, in a deeper and more passionate kiss than before. She ran her arms up his chest and snaked them around his neck, not rejecting him. She needed this. The warmth, the intimacy, she craved it for her first night as human again. Soon she heard the wind spinning against her ear and felt her back pressing against a flat surface. She opened her eyes, just a little without breaking their kiss, only to find that they were inside the ship, in the corridor close to her cabin; he must have transferred them there with his vampire speed, an ability she had now lost. He was biting her lower lip, tugging on it, making her moan softly into the kiss. She wanted him, she couldn't deny that to herself. All the thoughts of Damon and Stefan were now clouded by her lust and burning desire. Maybe this was not the right thing to do, maybe her mind was telling her differently, maybe her heart was lying elsewhere but he was all she wanted at that moment. She kept her eyes closed so she wouldn't get dizzy as he kept blurring them around the corridors with his original vampire speed till they were inside her cabin. They collapsed on the single bed, with him on top of her. She helped him take off his jacket prior to ripping his shirt open, letting the buttons fall on the mattress all around their bodies. She didn't care if he wanted to stay a gentleman, moral and firm in his suit. She wanted, she needed to touch him. She could feel his strong hands running up her thighs, lifting her dress along the way before pulling it completely off of her body, leaving her in her black laced underwear. She arched her back, pressing her chest desperately against his own, needing to be as close to him as possible. Her heart was racing; the blood pumping fast inside her veins. She ran her hands up and down his muscular back slowly, tilting her head backwards against the mattress as he left her lips, leaving a trail of heated, open-mouthed kisses down her neck and collarbone, then slowly down her exposed cleavage, his hands squeezing her breasts gently when his face was between them. Elena couldn't hold back her pleasurable moans. The shivers, the butterflies in the stomach, the desire, they were overwhelming her. She opened her eyes, looking down at him as he was taking her bra off before kissing down towards her stomach, tracing the hem of her underwear with his tongue. Elena sank her white pearls into her bottom lip, nipping it while running her digits through his dark locks, gripping them. Elijah took off her underwear hastily and spread her slender legs, putting each one over his bare strong shoulders so his face was right between her inner thighs. All Elena could do was watch him in anticipation as he grazed his tongue along her inner thigh till he reached her sensitive area, caressing her dripping entrance with the tip of his tongue. His lips caught her clit, sucking it teasingly, causing an escapade of loud moans to emerge through Elena's parted brims. Elena tightened her grip on his locks, her free hand gripping the thin white sheets underneath them. She had to admit that as a vampire, intense desire came to her much easier than when she was human; but with him right now it was totally different. He had his ways, experienced throughout the centuries, driving her crazy with a simple touch of his lips to the right spot. His tongue worked its way inside her throbbing folds, sucking and cleaning her bitter juices that were floating out. Elena had to bite harder on her bottom lip to suppress the moans from escaping. His teasing actions had brought her too close to the edge when he pulled away, licking his lips as he came up to kiss her, positioning himself between her legs now, easily sliding his thick length deep inside her aching core. He grabbed her hands and pinned them on the mattress, next to each side of her head. His face was right above hers as he started moving, rolling his hips against hers slowly, filling her completely with every thrust. He was staring down at her, straight into her chocolate brown hues. It felt more like he was looking like through her soul. She kept her eyes locked with his, her mouth open so she could moan and pant freely as her hips were rocking in sync with his, radically increasing the speed. At some moment she thought she saw him smiling but it was too brief to be sure it was real. Their bodies were moving together as one, in the heated, sweating atmosphere. Their lips were brushing against each other as he was grinding against her, thrusting in and out deeply and sensually, causing more satisfied and lustful shivers to run down her spine as she was coming closer to her climax. It was when his lips found her neck and trailed her skin towards her shoulder when she couldn't control herself any longer, releasing her sweet juices all over his shaft deep inside her; at the same time he exploded inside of her as well, filling her up with his warm cum. His thrusts then became rare, soft and shallow, his face buried inside the crook of her neck, his heavy breath caressing her sweaty skin there. She closed her eyes and felt a sly smile tugging on her features before she released a quiet, content sigh. She groaned softly as he pulled out of her and rolled on the mattress by her side, with his muscular arms pulling her in his embrace right away. She didn't feel regret for going down this road with him again. Instead she felt a wave of tiredness consuming every single part of her body. Being human meant getting tired more easily, that's a rule she would get used to again. She laid her head upon his chest and closed her eyes, breathing normally again. Sooner or later she would have to talk with him, about this thing going on between them, about her attitude towards it, about her feelings…feelings? She had to frown at that word passing through her mind. Maybe it wasn't love yet, but…no. She pushed all those thoughts out of her mind. Tomorrow was a brand new day and everything would be clear, inside her head and between them. Right now she felt like she used to back when she was human; she didn't know for sure what she wanted. She was afraid.  
They didn't exchange any words; she knew he could feel how weak and tired she was. He brushed his fingertips against her hair smoothly, making sure to cover their bodies with the blanket that was provided by the ship's crew. Now that she was human again, cold was another weakness she had to deal with. She dozed off, cuddled up against his chest, falling into a deep sleep; so deep that she didn't even feel or hear the sudden, rough thud that struck the ship a few hours later.


End file.
